HUGE Insect found in Iraqi Desert.

I don't know what the hell this is but it looks to be real. Any ideas??

Link

looks like a camel spider
those things are huge!

watch your sleeping bags!

They're apparently "camel spiders", and the photo makes them out to be larger than they actually are. From what i've read, they are called Camel spiders because they are often in the shadows of camels or people. You can probably google it to find more. I know there's an article about it at Snopes.

To steal the great SpiderJ's quote:

That's the Brown Trouser spider or Crapus Pantus in the latin.

Irony with the name though..

[edit on 6-4-2007 by MrAndy]

also

1. Camel spiders top speed - 10 mph.

2. Size: Up to 6 inches

3. They have no venom.

4. They don't jump.

5. Called camel spiders because they live in the desert.

They actually aren't spiders at all, they're solpugids.. Along with spiders, they are members of the class Arachnida.

source

I can see how the photo may make it look bigger than it is. It must be closer than it appears. Ive never heard of them before and i wouldn't want to find it in my bed!

This has been up several times.. Wish people would do a search..

Camel spiders, and yes they are big and to add to that the photo is taken in a way to exagerate it.. the hand at the top of the photo is also "huge"

Nothing new with those spiders anyway.

Originally posted by Thain Esh Kelch
This has been up several times.. Wish people would do a search..

/signed

This image is around so much with the correct caption saying it's camel spiders.

[edit on 6-4-2007 by David2012]

I really hate giant bugs . Even if it isnt really that big, its still freaky ~_~

[edit on 6-4-2007 by nastalgik]

Originally posted by David2012

Originally posted by Thain Esh Kelch
This has been up several times.. Wish people would do a search..

/signed

I'll sign that too!

As I clicked on the link all I could think was "I hope this is new, and not camel spiders..."

Originally posted by Thain Esh Kelch
This has been up several times.. Wish people would do a search..

Everyday I see threads where people are complaining of prior discussions on subjects and suggesting we do searches.

I would never log onto ATS some day and just randomly do a search on camel spiders. Some times new fresh info and pics are useful.

Originally posted by whargoul

As I clicked on the link all I could think was "I hope this is new, and not camel spiders..."

Funny, I was thinking the EXACT same thing..

It's two camel spiders, linked at the head and fore legs.

Moving on....

Camel Spiders. We used to pick them up in Saudi, rip their legs off and feed em to scorpions. The biggest one Ive ever seen was the size of my hand. They are ugly as hell and its painful when the little bastards bite.

Trust me, that picture has been around the net alot, and they arent anything new. Western Soldiers have been catching them and torturing them since we arrived in the Gulf back in 1990.

There is a video on the internet of a soldier eating one alive. Not sure why they would but hope it makes them feel fearless I think thats the point.

Originally posted by Thain Esh Kelch

Originally posted by whargoul

As I clicked on the link all I could think was "I hope this is new, and not camel spiders..."

Funny, I was thinking the EXACT same thing..

Yeah, me too. I thought "no way it could be a camel spider, cause anyone who hasn’t seen one yet must have just discovered the internet."

Have you been living under a rock?

Its a camel spider - an arachnid. This is old news.

Camel Spiders, When I was in Iraq 2003 I kept one in a bucket and fed it Skittles out of the MREs. My platoon tried to have Camel Spider Vs. Scorpion matches in a drip pan, but that didn't work out so well. They arn't good at fighting scorpions. We threw in a handfull of large black ants we called Paratrooper Ants, first ants I have ever seen jump, and the Camel Spider decapitated them all in less than ten seconds.

Theyre funny looking things, they live in Afghanistan too. We do lots of silly things to get by when deployed.

irony: people complaining that other people don't read ALL the threads, and then there is a stream of people answering a question that was answered in the first response.

(ie. THEY didn't bother to read THIS thread)

on a another note, how about some pictures of giant camel toes for a change?

Originally posted by Rasobasi420
It's two camel spiders, linked at the head and fore legs.

[edit on 6-4-2007 by selfless]

Originally posted by Skadi_the_Evil_Elf
Camel Spiders. We used to pick them up in Saudi, rip their legs off and feed em to scorpions. The biggest one Ive ever seen was the size of my hand. They are ugly as hell and its painful when the little bastards bite.

That's sick.

I would like to see that happen to you see if it would put a little empathy in your mind.